Virtual H2O Conference – Feb 21, 2012
One of the exciting things about living in current times is the increasing use of social networking and the online community to connect people both personally and professionally. Websites like LinkedIn allow professionals to meet other industry experts and join groups to share information and ideas. Solutions like Go-To-Meeting allow businesses to connect with their clients or hold internal meetings in a way that can include staff in remote offices without having to incur travel costs.
For the last couple of years, PennWell Corporation has been using the internet to host a “Virtual H2O Conference” each spring and fall. Attendees from the water and wastewater industries can listen to presentations (which earn PDHs) from the comfort of their own offices. This year, the first Virtual H2O Conference is on Feb 21, 2012. It’s free to attend. Click here for a list of 2012 presentations.
Last September, PICA participated in this conference, presenting on “Trends in Actual Wall Thickness for Cast & Ductile Iron Water Mains“. This paper showed the results from over 175km of pipeline (37,000+ pipes!). The presentation, which includes an audio narration, can be accessed by clicking the above link.
So if you wish to attend an industry event but don’t have time to travel to one, this is an interesting alternative.
Season’s Greetings
Dear customer and friends,
As the holiday season approaches, I personally want to take a moment to thank you for your continued patronage and to extend to you my very best wishes on behalf of the entire Russell NDE and PICA teams, for a healthy and prosperous New Year.
Sincerely,
Dave Russell
President
Dacon and Russell/PICA sign co-operation agreement
Dacon, a manufacturer of ultrasonic in-line inspection tools, and Russell NDE Systems, a manufacturer ofelectromagnetic in-line inspection tools for PICA, have signed a co-operation agreement through which each company may offer the other’s special “smart pigs” for applications that are appropriate.
Recent examples include:
- Russell will provide one of its “High Lift-Off” RFT tools to inspect three 8-in, schedule 80 pipelines in Thailand. The lines have a cement mortar liner that is impossible for Dacon tools to penetrate. The lines will be cleaned by Dacon, who will also run the sizing pigs through the lines in preparation for the Russell tool.
- Dacon will inspect a 24-in HDPE line located in New Caledonia for PICA. PICA’s tools can only inspect ferromagnetic lines (cast iron, ductile iron and steel), but the Dacon tool can inspect any material, except HDPE liner in a steel pipe. In that case, the Dacon tool would be used to precisely measure the thickness of the liner and the Russell or PICA tool would be used to inspect the steel pipe.
The ability for PICA, Russell and Dacon to share their tools and provide the best solution for individual applications in the water, waste water, mining, slurry and oil, and gas pipeline industries provides a more extensive solution set for our customers.
Worried about a main break?
You’re not alone. Around the country, high profile mains continue to fail. A quick Google search for “water main breaks” yields more results than people feel comfortable acknowledging. Here are three examples: Central Park West, Boston, and Durham.
Asset management is a difficult job. Mains are unpredictable and many operators feel they lack the tools (and money) to effectively battle these breaks. At PICA, we are working hard to develop economical Direct Condition Assessment tools that empower decision makers. More effective asset management is possible.
Check out our website or call us to learn more.
See Snake technology featured in Hong Kong publication
Russell NDE Systems and their See Snake technology (which is used by PICA for water and wastewater line inspection) were featured in the Summer 2011 edition of Oil & Gas Technology – Hong Kong.
Click here to read – in two languages – how See Snake’s RFT technology is performing Direct Condition Assessment of pipelines that are considered unpiggable by MFL standards.
PICA at ASCE 2011
The ASCE conference and trade show is a place to meet old friends and make a few new ones. This year’s venue was the beautiful city of Seattle where PICA had a booth where we showcased our HydraSnake tool.
The thing we like about ASCE conferences is that they are “right sized” and not too long. The exhibition had a lunch sandwich buffet and breakfast buffet that allowed conference attendees to look over innovations in technology while enjoying some good food.
We also took the opportunity to announce and strengthen our new strategic alliance with Wachs Water Services – many old and new customers asked us about that alliance and expressed their encouragement. It’s good to see that everyone is as excited about it as we are.
This year, PICA sponsored a hole in the golf tournament and U.S. Manager, Chris Garrett (a fair golfer) tried his hand at it too. Chris represented us at the booth along with Vincent Chen (Sales Manager for China, Asia and the west coast of Canada/USA) and me, Dave Russell (company prez). Vincent (left) and Chris(right) are shown in the photo below.
Best regards,
Dave Russell
PICA welcomes Wachs to our water industry family
As PICA president, Dave Russell, has mentioned in a previous blog, it is good for the client when experienced complimentary service providers work together. So to better service PICA’s clients in the water industry, we have formed a strategic alliance with Wachs Water Services.
PICA offers a variety of direct condition assessment techniques for metallic pipelines, specializing in determining actual wall thickness using a patented electromagnetic technique.
Wachs Water Services is the leading provider of water distribution system solutions, combining condition assessment and rehabilitation.
Please read our press release for more information. We are looking forward to serving you better.
ACE11 Summary
PICA would like to thank everyone who participated in the AWWA ACE11 conference in Washington, DC. The amount of knowledge sharing and business opportunities at this year’s conference is promising for the water and wastewater industries. Thousands of people passed by the PICA booth and many stopped to chat for a few minutes about the inspection techniques we offer.
If you left your business card with either Ed Brain or Chris Garrett at the booth, please look for an email from them in the coming week.
PICA is excited to build upon all of the relationships established at the conference. If you have additional questions, please don’t hesitate to contact PICA directly. Lots of great information can also be found by surfing our website too.
Be sure to keep your eye out for PICA at the ASCE Pipelines conference July 23-27 in Seattle, Washington. We hope to see you there!
In-line inspection companies are working together for the benefit of the client
The recent rise in the consolidation of companies providing leak detection and condition analysis of water mains (Wachs with JD-7; Pure with EMTEK and PPIC; Mueller with Echologics) confirms that the market for in-line inspection technologies is blossoming and pipeline managers are realizing the value of non-destructive testing for their buried assets.
The life extension of water and wastewater pipelines is a very practical way to make the most effective use of tight maintenance budgets. Although in-line technologies can be invasive (for example, potable mains must be thoroughly flushed and shock-chlorinated after the inspection), this is a small price to pay for the value derived by using them. Technologies like PICA’s HydraSnake and the Wachs JD-7 tools that enter potable water mains offer value to the client as excavation and cutting of the pipe is not required. In addition, removal of thick scale and coatings is not needed for these particular tools.
It may seem that these consolidations give asset managers fewer companies to choose from, however the technologies that they can now bring to the table are varied – each having its own unique strengths – and that is good news for any asset manager.
Kind regards,
Dave Russell
The Dog Days of Summer
As the dog days of summer come to an end and leaves start to show hints of yellow and red, pipeline operators across North America must be welcoming the cooler weather. If you’ve been following the news, you know the hot temperatures and long droughts have wreaked havoc on pipelines in many regions.
While no one welcomes the pipeline breaks (except perhaps construction foremen!), there is a silver lining in that it has helped nudge the industry into an increasingly more proactive approach to their assets. Our sales team has spent much of the summer on the road, meeting with clients at conferences and in their offices and it’s clear that these stewards of the public’s wastewater and drinking water are actively educating themselves on the tools available to them.
PICA has received much positive feedback and that has materialized into a fall and winter for 2011 that will be very busy for our inspection teams and tools. At the same time, we’ve signed a strategic alliance with Wachs Water Services that will provide the water industry with a great one-two punch.
If you would like more information about our Direct Condition Assessment solutions or how the PICA/Wachs team can save you some cash and prevent emergency repair headaches, don’t hesitate to contact us. We look forward to working with you during the winter months to create a more peaceful summer.